1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a cutting device for materials such as gauze. The invention further relates to the technical fields of handling products in strips and means for cutting these products.
2. Prior Art
Gauze swabs are used to bandage wounds, to absorb blood, or to protect and isolate wounds. The swabs are generally made on machines which, using spools, separate the strips which are to be formed into the swabs, then make a fold or folds in the strips, stack the swabs and finally put them into bags.
For certain applications, such as treatment of patients having tracheotomies, there is an advantage in making an incision in the folded swab to enable a by-pass catheter to pass through. Some machines currently on the market make this incision; however, they do not have a large output due either to the way the cutting tool is designed or because they do not operate continuously. Also, the shape of the incision and the power train of the machine do not always allow several sizes of swabs to be processed.
It is an object of the invention to continuously produce an incision in folded swabs of different sizes. The shape and dimensions of the incision will allow catheters and other therapeutic means having cross-sections of different sizes to pass through.